United Teachers of Pasadena Announces It Will Honor Education Support Professionals

May 17, 2016, is the day United Teachers of Pasadena (UTP) has set aside to honor the Education Support Professionals (ESPs) in the Pasadena Unified School District who keep students healthy, safe, engaged, supported and challenged so they are ready to learn.

Communities across the state will spotlight and celebrate school support staff, which includes school secretaries, bus drivers, maintenance staff, paraprofessionals and kitchen staff. The front line of public education begins with that first school bus ride in the morning, and ends when the custodian turns off the lights at night.

“As educators, we know the crucial role played by the hundreds of paraprofessionals, office workers, bus drivers, custodians and maintenance staff in our schools,” said Alvin Nash, President of United Teachers of Pasadena. They are a big part of our schools and a big part of our communities… everything they do is for the kids.”

“Education support professionals are often the first people our schoolchildren encounter on a daily basis,” says Nash. “They are the people who drive our children to school, help them cross the street, provide them a nutritious meal, and keep their school buildings clean and safe. ESPs are the unsung heroes of public education. It is time we recognize their hard work and expertise by telling them ‘thank you.’”